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Florida lawmakers pass "take your guns to work" law By Michael Peltier
1 hour, 17 minutes ago



Most Florida residents would be allowed to take guns to work under a measure passed by Florida lawmakers on Wednesday.

The bill, allowing workers to keep guns in their cars for self-protection, was approved by the Florida Senate by a vote of 26-13. It now goes to Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to sign into law.

Backed by the National Rifle Association and some labor unions, the so-called "take-your-guns-to-work" measure would prohibit business owners from banning guns kept locked in motor vehicles on their private property.

The measure applies to employees, customers and those invited to the business establishment as long as they have a permit to carry the weapon.

Backers say the measure upholds the vision of the authors of the U.S. Constitution, who made the right to bear arms part of the Bill of Rights.

"The second thing they wrote about in that constitution was the right to bear arms," said Sen. Durell Peaden, a Republican from Crestview, Florida. "It was what was dear in their hearts."

The measure exempts a number of workplaces including nuclear power plants, prisons, schools and companies whose business involves homeland security.

Critics say the measure usurps business owners' rights to determine what happens on their property and puts workers and managers at risk from disgruntled employees.

Dozens of workplace shootings occur every year in the United States and studies have shown that job sites where guns are permitted are more likely to suffer workplace homicides than those where guns are prohibited.

"This is an attempt to trample upon the property rights of property owners and attempt to make it more difficult to protect the workers in a workplace and those who visit our retail establishments," said Sen. Ted Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat.

Oklahoma, Alaska, Kentucky, and Mississippi have similar laws, although in Oklahoma, an appellate court barred the state from enforcing the legislation on grounds that it was unconstitutional.

Florida business groups are urging the governor to veto the measure, saying owners should be allowed to determine what happens on their property.

"We are disappointed that politics clearly won over good policy," Mark Wilson, president and chief executive of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement.

It's not a "take your guns to work" law.

It's a "leave your gun in your car when you're at work" law.

Dozens of workplace shootings occur every year in the United States and studies have shown that job sites where guns are permitted are more likely to suffer workplace homicides than those where guns are prohibited.

I'd really like to see any data that supports this one!!

I know this reply is kind of a continuation from another thread, but I would really like to see this legislation passed in TX.

When I worked for TSA we were told that even having a gun in our car in the parking lot was a violation of 18 USC 930. Of course I pointed out that the parking lot was a public facility and not being rented or otherwise under the control of the Federal Gov't, and was once again branded as some sort of heretic or something, but I got my point across when I pointed out that the whole reason we were in existance was as a preventive measure, and that carrying my gun with me in the car was equally a preventive measure, and that after all, they trusted me where I worked, why couldn't they trust me as much as the State of Texas.

The Federal Security Director at that time was one Michael Restovich, who some of you might recognize as the author of an article in the American Rifleman a while back about how to fly with firearms - an article, BTW, that he denied me permission to write and submit to the NRA because of politics or something.

Interestingly, the article he "authored" was pretty close to the one I submitted for his approval a couple of years before.

HMMM

Dozens of workplace shootings occur every year in the United States and studies have shown that job sites where guns are permitted are more likely to suffer workplace homicides than those where guns are prohibited.

Whoever wrote that has really got their head up.........'errrr.......in the sand.......
They gotta be an Oprah employee or Clinton campaign volunteer...

dukalmighty wrote: ...studies have shown that job sites where guns are permitted are more likely to suffer workplace homicides than those where guns are prohibited.

What studies? Who conducted them? What was their agenda? those are the questions to ask any time anyone tells you "studies show...."

Mike1951 wrote:

Dozens of workplace shootings occur every year in the United States and studies have shown that job sites where guns are permitted are more likely to suffer workplace homicides than those where guns are prohibited.

I'd really like to see any data that supports this one!!

My guess is they are comparing locations such as pawn shops and Stop-n-Robs (which may allow employees to carry) vs. workplaces in general. Since job sites where "guns are permitted" are usually places that have a high risk of crime, they will naturally have more "workplace shootings".

This is not a correct comparison because the argument is whether employees can leave a firearm in their vehicle, not carry one at the office.

"This is an attempt to trample upon the property rights of property owners and [an] attempt to make it more difficult to protect the workers in a workplace and those who visit our retail establishments," said Sen. Ted Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat.

What protection? Companies are both failing to provide protection, and forbidding employees the means of their own protection. What rank disengenuousness.

I see two points to the right to keep a firearm in YOUR vehicle.

First if you own your vehicle it is your property and therefore you should be able to keep a firearm in it if you choose to regardless of where you park.

The other point is if businesses wish to prohibit workers from having firarms in their vehicles, they should have to supply adaquate protection from your home to work. Everytime I go to work I am at risk because work can give me the choice of either not working or risk being attacked without adaquate defense. I do NOT believe any law abiding citizen should have to make this choice.

according to an FBI study I read, a while back, there wasn't a single case of a guy getting fired, going out to his car, right then and there, and coming back in a blasting people.
it's always (and I'm almost quoting Charles here) weeks after the fact, where all other avenues of complaint have been exhausted.

This law would not help me in any way. They still want to prohibit school employees from leaving a gun in their car. This makes absolutely no sense because anyone that is not an employee that has a CHL can already have a firearm in their car, just not the emplyees.